Trust in Him
by LadiePhoenix007
Summary: What if an exiled Grey Warden not only met and befriended Alexia Hawke at The Hanged Man but joined her group on their many adventures trying to earn enough gold to fund the Deep Roads Expedition. What if he fell in love with her? Could she trust him? Mature rating for language, violence, and lemons. A/U and OOC characters. (F!Hawke & Alistair)
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_This is my first multi-chapter story. It will be broken up into 3 different stories with each story being an act from Dragon Age: II – It is A/U and the characters are OOC but I will loosely follow the events of the game. Please read and review. I apologize for spelling and grammar mistakes and will try to fix any found._

**_Disclaimer: _**_I only provided the plot. Everything else is owned by BioWare and EA._

**Trust in Him**

Isabela was at the bar in her usual place, drinking her usual cup of spirits. She was ignoring the dimwitted man that was spouting horrible lines of poetry that he thought were clever enough to land in her bed. She grimaced and turned her attention on a table near her. Merrill and Bethany were sitting there along with Anders. They had started a game of cards but none of them seemed to be concentrating on their hands.

Isabela smiled when she noticed Hawke coming in the pub followed by the lanky elf, Fenris, and the silver tongued dwarf, Varric. They spotted the table where their companions were sitting and greeted them. Hawke made her way to the bar and nodded at the dark haired beauty. At the same time, Isabela caught a glimpse of dirty blonde hair in the corner. He seemed to be deep into several pints of ale that evening but that was not what she really noticed. No, what she really noticed was how his eyes followed Hawke. He was staring intently at the warrior, clearly interested in seeing more of her. The pirate smirked and began to think of a way to get them together. She cared about Hawke and wanted to see her happy. She knew that the man in the corner seemed to be a hopeless drunk but she remembered him from her time in Denerim. There, he had been a powerful warrior, a Grey Warden. She finished her drink and made her way to him.

He knew his drinking was worse than it had ever been. He was well aware that everyone in The Hanged Man thought he was just a drunken lout with no prospects but he didn't care. The female warrior that was called Hawke had been coming in almost nightly for the last few months and he had been drawn to her beauty from the first. He would stare at her every time, thinking of ways to get her attention. He never got beyond that other than the fantasies that he had of her every night. He would have a couple of drinks to bolster his courage but instead, it would just confirm his fear that he would never be good enough for her. He sighed and looked over at where she was sitting with her friends and that is when he noticed Isabela coming towards him. Yes, he remembered meeting her at The Pearl in Denerim over a year ago. Back when he was still a Grey Warden. Back when he still believed in justice and loyalty. Back before he was betrayed by the woman he thought he'd loved. Thinking of that made him grimace as the dusky pirate sat herself down across from him.

Alexia Hawke, known as Lexie to her friends, when they weren't calling her by her surname, sat drinking the swill the pub tried to pass off as ale. She was watching her friends and sister talking about their day. She listened to Varric spin a tale about what they had been up to before they got there. They had gone to investigate a cave on the Wounded Coast that supposedly had blood mages in hiding. No such luck. Instead, they had found several large spiders and broken crates that held nothing of value. She chuckled when Varric described a spider that was as large as ten Arishoks and how he and Bianca had bested it. Really, it was an average sized spider and although Varric helped, he was not the one covered in foul spider bits after it was all said and done. She looked around for her friend, Isabela and finally spotted her talking to the sexy, man in the corner. She was well aware that he was usually pretty drunk by this time at night but that didn't detract from his good looks. She had never spoken to him directly but she couldn't help but notice him all this time and she often wondered what he would be like, fully sober. He seemed to have a soldier-type build as he was all muscle which she expected was from heavy armor and wielding a sword. She imagined something terrible happened and that was why he sat and drank most every night. Lexie wondered what Isabela was doing over there as she hadn't ever said much about him before other than she had met him briefly while in Denerim.

Isabela looked at the man sitting across from her. "What the hell are you doing here? I mean, what could be so bad that you've pickled yourself since being here?" she asked, as blunt as usual. She was determined to hear his story. She was usually a 'live and let live' kind of person and didn't interfere when it came to others' love lives, but there was something about him that made her think he could be perfect for her friend. Or at least he'd be good for a lusty night that would put a real smile on Lexie's face.

He frowned and finished his drink. He contemplated about ignoring her but she seemed too determined to leave it alone. Finally, he spoke, "I'm here drowning myself in this _shite_ that passes for ale because it was that or my life. In one fell swoop, and we all know _swooping _is bad, everything I thought was true and right was wiped out by a vicious bitch." He looked at his empty cup and sighed.

"Are you talking about that mage you were with when I saw you in Denerim?" Isabela asked. She remembered that the raven haired mage had asked about learning to duel and was highly offended when the pirate had explained that because she used magic and wasn't the rogue type she would be unable to fight the same way. The rogue elf, Zevran had been with them at the time. He smoothed things over as much as he could but Isabela could see he was unhappy about the whole situation and she had seen a look of contempt that he sent the mage's way. Later, when she and Zevran had met up on her ship for a passionate reunion, he told her quite a bit about said mage and the man that had accompanied her.

"Yes, I know what you're thinking. I should have listened to the others when they told me that she was not to be trusted. I didn't though; I thought that she loved me as much as I loved her." Alistair said.

Isabela gave him a calculated look and said, "Look, you can sit here and feel sorry for yourself getting pissed every night or you can get off your arse and be a man." She stood up from the table. "I have a feeling that there is something or _someone_ that would be perfect motivation, Your Highness." With that, she swaggered over to her friends and left Alistair with much to think about.

Lexie was thinking about leaving for the night when Isabela sat next to her. "You need to let your hair down and live a little, sweet thing." She told Hawke. "You could have your choice of _delights_ if you just looked around you."

Lexie groaned and shook her head. "Leave it to you, Bela. I am quite fine without complicating my life with a relationship." She glanced quickly over at the corner where that gorgeous man was sitting. Isabela noticed and rolled her eyes. She was going to have to work much harder than she thought at this. Oh well, she thought. Not like I'm going anywhere soon without my ship.

Lexie stood up and said good bye to her friends and headed out with Bethany following her. She noticed that Fenris had also decided to take his leave and fell into step with the sisters. She had noticed that the elf had been doing that as of late. Her first thought was that he wanted to talk to her but he never started any conversations during the short jaunt to her uncle's hovel so she had come to the conclusion that he had appointed himself as a body guard to the Hawke sisters. While they were quite capable at defending themselves, she was touched that he would make such a gesture. In spite of his outward appearance and _broody_ personality, he was being a gentleman and she thought it very sweet. Of course, she'd never tell him that, but it did make her smile knowingly. Maker only knew what he'd say to that.

"Good night, Fenris." Lexie said as they reached home. He nodded and waited until they were inside before he continued on to Hightown to his _borrowed_ mansion.

Still sitting inside the pub, Anders had watched Fenris as he followed the sisters out the door. He had noticed that it was a regular occurrence as of late and he wasn't happy about it. Not only did Anders dislike Fenris, but Justice seemed to hate the Tevintor elf. Anders was infatuated with Lexie Hawke. He thought that she was beautiful and enchanting. She wasn't a mage hater either as her deceased father had been one and of course, she was very protective of her magical sister. She was much too kind and smart to be with the elf that hated everything magic. That was the deciding factor for Justice. He just knew that if allowed, Fenris would try to convince her that mages didn't deserve freedom. The healer would have to find a way to prevent anything developing between those two and at the same time, he would figure out a way to pursue Lexie for himself.

Alistair had watched Lexie and her sister leave. He saw the elf with the shock white hair and strange markings follow close behind and wondered what his relationship was Lexie. Even in his drunken stupor, he'd not seen any evidence of anything other than some sort of friendship between them. In fact, he'd noticed Isabela making moves on him and it never seemed to bother Lexie so it wasn't a romance going on between them. Alistair looked at his empty cup and decided he'd had enough to drink. In fact, since the sultry voiced pirate had spoken to him earlier, he had decided that he was going to make some changes. He wasn't fool enough to think that he'd wake up in the morning and be like he was before the blight or even during the blight, but he was determined he was done being the damned drunk. With that final thought, he got up from the table and went up to his rented room and to bed.

Varric was not only a fiendishly handsome rogue dwarf, but he had an arsenal of talents that he utilized. He spun fantastic stories, played cards, and drank everyone but Isabela under the table all at the same time while still observing all that was going on around him. He had been aware of Lexie's sneaking glances at the ex-Grey Warden, Alistair for some time now. He knew that the ex-Warden had been staring at her as well. He had enough contacts to know quite a bit about him and thought that he'd be an asset to their group if he could stop getting completely pissed all the time.

The dwarf was also very aware of Anders fixation of Lexie. He sensed a potential problem in the unforeseeable future as he was relatively sure that the feelings would not be reciprocated by the pretty warrior. He had concern about the angry glowing spirit that was riding on Blondie's shoulders and was quite sure they were headed towards disaster if Justice was allowed to rule the healer. He shook his head and glanced down at his hand. Nope, he wasn't going to be walking away with a pile of coin tonight but he'd make up for it tomorrow. He got up from the table and motioned for the Dalish mage to follow him upstairs. He'd let her use the cot he had in his rooms so she wouldn't have to walk back to the Alienage alone. "Come on Daisy. It's time for you and Bianca to hit the hay." He lovingly stroked his crossbow. He saw Isabela smirk his way and then she blew a kiss. "That had better not have been for Bianca, Rivaini." He growled. Isabela just laughed and told Merrill good night before sauntering off to the bar.

Anders was the last to leave The Hanged Man. He headed straight for Darktown and his clinic. He wanted to write a few more pages of his manifesto before going to bed and he had already wasted enough time watching the others acting like nothing was wrong in Kirkwall. He knew better. He trusted his instincts but even more, he trusted Justice.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: In this chapter, Alistair has made some changes. One of those changes is to stop getting drunk all day and night. While this is just a story and the plot and characters are fictional, alcoholism is real. Here in my story, Alistair will find he doesn't miss the drinking as soon as he decides to do something with his life and it won't have lasting effects on him. However, I do realize that for most people in similar situations, real life does not work that way and overcoming any addiction takes hard work on the part of the individual dealing with them. – This story is AU and OOC.**

**Disclaimer: The plot is my own. Everything else is owned by BioWare and EA.**

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**Trust in Him**

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_Chapter 2_

For the last two weeks, Alistair had stayed sober. He had found some work at the docks and was earning enough coin to go with what Bann Teagan sent every month so that he had extra to spend on things like new boots and a decent meal every night. He had realized how much he had let himself go over the past few months since he'd come to Kirkwall. His body which had always been muscular and capable had gotten a bit soft. The first few days of being sober and working, he would come back to The Hanged Man exhausted and aching. He would shovel down whatever he was served for supper and go to his room to collapse onto his bed and fall straight to sleep. Now, he often took his time as he walked through the market in Lowtown. He would sometimes take a look at what the smithy had or Trinket's Emporium. He made sure to stop in at Lirene's Fereldan Imports once a week to donate some of his pay. He may have not become king, but he was still a proud Fereldan and wanted to help his fellow countrymen as much as he could.

Varric noticed all the changes Alistair had been making. It seemed that he had found a purpose and was no longer drinking himself to death. He really thought Hawke should hire the former prince as they could always use more muscle especially when they finally went with Bertrand down to the Deep Roads. Having a Grey Warden at their side would give them an edge. He personally preferred the soldier over Blondie. The dwarf liked Anders well enough but he didn't know how Justice would react while down there and if it went straight to shit, he didn't want to be around for it. He decided to take the initiative and speak to Alistair as soon as he saw him. He was certain that Hawke would see the sense in it and have no problems. It would also be an excuse to watch the two warriors together. His story was lacking a romance and a love affair between the two Fereldans would fit the bill perfectly.

Not knowing he was the subject of Varric's current thoughts, he was surprised when the dwarf asked to speak to him as he arrived in the pub. Alistair followed Varric into the dwarf's rooms curiously. After sitting down, he was surprised when asked if he would like to be hired on to work for Hawke. Varric explained about the planned expedition to the Deep Roads and needing an experienced swordsman to accompany them. He also told the ex-Templar (Yes, Varric really did know about everyone.) that there would be plenty of work while earning enough gold to help fund the journey to the Deep Roads. He also pointed out that there would be substantial coin made when it was done.

Varric noticed Alistair's expression changed briefly when the Deep Roads was mentioned and wondered what it had meant. There was definitely a tale worth telling behind it and the dwarf was confident that he would be able to flush it out from the man sitting across from him at some point. The rogue also had noticed the small smile that appeared when Hawke's name was said. He was positive that Alistair would agree to the offer. "I don't have to have an answer now." Varric told him. Alistair nodded and stood up and thanked the dwarf before leaving to go to his own room. The smooth talking dwarf now needed to speak with Lexie and get her onboard with his idea. Once again, Varric was certain in his skills of persuasion and set off to find Hawke.

Alistair had much on his mind when he walked into his room. He went over to a trunk and opened it. His sword and shield were there and he brought them out let out a sigh. He hadn't carried them or worn armor since he had come to Kirkwall. He knew that with a bit of practice, he'd be back to form. He realized that physically it wouldn't be too difficult, it was the emotions that came with fighting again that had him worried. He laid his weapons down on the trunk and sat on the edge of his bed. Memories of his trek through Fereldan flooded his head. Thinking after a bit, he began to realize that a bonus of agreeing to Varric's proposal was working with the woman that he had been admiring for some time. Shaking his head, he got undressed and washed before climbing into bed. He knew that come morning, he was going to have to start training so he would be ready to work for Serah Hawke.

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Lexie sat at the table drinking her pint still thinking about what she had just agreed to. Varric had pulled her aside to talk about business and that was when he had explained about hiring the man that used to be sitting in the corner getting drunk. She now knew that his name was Alistair and that the reason she hadn't seen him in a fortnight was because he had gotten work at the docks and was no longer downing the ale like his life depended on it. As she replayed the conversation in her head, she realized that suave dwarf had engineered the whole discussion towards his goal of her agreeing to sign up Alistair to their crew.

Isabela came over to sit with her friend and find out what Varric had said to her. She was very curious as Lexie had a look of confusion on her face since the story teller had left the table. "Tell me Kitten, what has our dwarf told you that left you looking like someone pinched your ass?" She purred.

Lexie looked at the pirate and answered, "We've taken another warrior into our group." She took the time to finish her ale and before continuing, haled Norah over to order another. Isabela waited for her to resume. After two more pints were delivered, Hawke said, "I'm sure that you noticed the pub's resident drunkard is no longer, well... drunk." Bela nodded. "It seems that he found work down at the docks. However, Varric thought it would beneficial to get him to fight alongside us and to accompany whomever goes to the Deep Roads seeing as he was a Grey Warden." She took a long pull from her cup and waited for her friend to comment.

Isabela thought the idea brilliant. She would have to congratulate her favorite rogue later. It would be easier now to get the two warriors together and she was already plotting in her head about it. She realized Lexie was waiting for her to say something. "Well, that is quite the news. Let's take him with us to the Bone Pit. You promised Hubert that you would find out what happened to the workers before the end of the week." Isabela was positive that after a few excursions with the newest member of their team, her friend wouldn't be able to resist his good looks.

Hawke had almost forgotten about her commitment to the Orlesian as she had gotten quite a few job offers in the last week. She really needed someone to write a list so she could keep better track. She'd have to ask Bethany to do that for her. "I think that is a good idea, Bela. I'll let Varric know and we'll head out in three days. I have some local jobs to do in the meantime." Lexie went to find the dwarf while Isabela decided to go flirt with her favorite lanky elf.

After telling Varric about going to the Bone Pit and promising Merrill that she would come visit her at the Alienage, Lexie decided to go home and let Bethany in on the latest news. As Fenris was occupied by Bela's attempts to get him up to her room, it was Anders that followed her out the door. They had only stepped outside when the healer began his normal rant about anyone against freeing the mages. Lexie had difficulty keeping a groan from escaping her mouth. She had never felt that her sister should have to go live in the Circle but she also knew that not all mages were like Bethany. There were a lot of mages that turned to blood magic and those were the ones that needed to be watched over by the Templars. "Anders, you know how I feel. I agree with giving freedom to mages that do no harm to themselves or others but you have to admit that not all mages are the same." She quickened her pace so that she could escape an argument with him. If she didn't, she was concerned that his _inner friend_ would make an appearance and that was to be avoided at all costs.

Anders was, in fact, having trouble with keeping Justice quiet after Hawke had made that comment. "They take us away from our families, Hawke! Nothing can justify that. We're treated worse than criminals even though we haven't done anything to warrant it." He felt that his statement would help keep Justice placated enough to not make an outward show.

Lexie stopped and turned to face Anders directly. "I have helped keep my sister away from the Templars and the damned circle all her life. I know that it is unfair how they are treated. Please understand that I am **not** against you but I do see it from more than just one side." Lexie hoped that he wouldn't continue as she was too tired and her temper was too short.

Anders wisely chose to say nothing more about it for tonight. He had followed Hawke in order to try and get closer with her as she didn't have Fenris tagging along. He felt a surge of anger towards the spirit inside of him for always making the plight of mages foremost in his mind. He took one of Lexie's hands in his own and said, "I am sorry and do not wish to argue with you. I think that what you and your family have done to keep Bethany safe is amazing. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your friendship." He looked into her eyes and tried to convey his feelings to her.

In that moment, Lexie realized that Anders was looking for more than being friends. He may have mentioned friendship when he apologized but the look he gave her while holding her hand told her he wanted something beyond that. She was taken aback as this wasn't what she had been expecting. Her first thought was to yank her hand away from his but she didn't. Instead, she told the mage the truth. "Anders, I can never have too many friends and though we don't always agree, I am thankful to count you as one." She hoped that he understood but she didn't think that he did. She was sure of it a moment later as he continued to stare. He glanced down to her full lips and he leaned his head towards her. As soon as Lexie saw that, she pulled her hand out of his and took a step back. "Thank you for walking me home, Anders." She quickly turned and went inside leaving the healer on her doorstep.

With his eyes narrowing, Anders stared at the door that Hawke had just shut. He wasn't happy with the rejection and vowed to try harder in order to make the attractive warrior understand. He felt sure that with time, he would not only convince her that the Circle of Magi was nothing more than a prison, but also his growing love for her. He finally left and headed to his clinic.

Lexie heard Anders walking away and felt relief. She had been stunned by his attempt to kiss her. She thought back to when she had first met the mage and tried to see signs of his attraction towards her but couldn't seem to find any evidence of it. She would have to ask Isabela about it next time they had some privacy. Shaking her head to help clear it, she quietly made her way to the room she shared with her sister. As she got ready for bed, her thoughts drifted to the newest member of her crew. Lexie would have reacted quite differently if it had been him that had tried to kiss her. She definitely wouldn't have pulled away. Crawling into her narrow bed, she smiled when she realized that working with Alistair might be beneficial in many ways. Hoping she would dream of the magnificent warrior, she soon fell asleep.

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_**A/N: Please read and review. Updates to this story will be at least once per week. Thank you.**_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here is chapter 3 and I hope that you enjoy it. Please read and review.

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**Trust in Him**

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Chapter 3

Lexie listened to Isabela as she was describing her rather raunchy story of what she had done last night while visiting The Blooming Rose. She didn't seem embarrassed that she was sharing such details with her companions. When the wanton harlot, formally known as Isabela, started to describe what was inside Jethan's smalls, Lexie felt the need to either strangle the pirate or run away to hide in the nearest cave. "Bela!" Hawke yelled sharply. "Can we please concentrate on the business at hand?" All that earned her was a husky chuckle from said pirate. Rolling her eyes, Hawke picked up the pace with her team following behind her.

Alistair smiled at the group he was working with today. Besides their leader, there was Isabela and a Dalish mage named Merrill. At least he thought that was her name. He wasn't positive because the pirate would refer to her as _Kitten _or _Sweet Thing _and he had heard Varric calling her _Daisy_ while in the pub. He'd have to ask later. He wanted to laugh out loud when it was apparent that Isabela's bedroom talk made Lexie uncomfortable. He wondered if she was just shy or perhaps not experienced. That thought led him to staring at her delightfully displayed backside that her leather armor couldn't cover as she led them up a winding path towards the mine they were checking on for that Orlesian from Hightown.

When they turned the final corner, there was no time for anymore talking as they had come across a camp overrun by a large group of looters. Merrill stood back letting her magic strike the first few raiders that had started towards them, weapons poised. Isabela danced around the camp while inflicting the robbers she came near with slash wounds from her dual blades. Several times, she would suddenly appear behind one of the looters and fatally stab them in the back before vanishing once again.

Alistair, dressed in heavy armor and wielding a large sword and shield didn't run into battle, he stormed. He was full in front of his enemy and whittled them down with his superior sword skills and using his shield for defense. He stood, practically immobile as thief after thief came at him. He would quickly take them out, one after the other. He truly looked like a legendary Grey Warden at that moment.

Lexie began to use her two handed sword against the small group of raiders that had surrounded her. She opted to wear a light armor so that her two handed behemoth of a sword made use of her muscles. She rounded with her blade tipped out to catch the enemies and push them back and before they could recover from her sudden onslaught, she began to fight them. Arcing her broadsword towards a looter, she brought it down across his exposed neck and before his dead body could hit the ground, she was atop another, dispatching him almost as fast.

Alistair had a brief moment between fighting when he looked over to the other side of the camp. He watched Hawke as she gracefully fought five men at the same time. She moved with the strength of the warrior she was but she had the added elegance and rhythm of a dueling rogue. He had never seen that in any other warrior that carried a heavy two handed blade. He had no more time to watch as he engaged in battle again and swiftly killed the last raider.

The group immediately picked through the pockets of the now dead looters and grabbed anything useful or of worth. It was a necessity that Hawke didn't care much for but the realist in her knew that if they didn't benefit, someone else would.

Isabela sidled up next to Lexie and whispered, "Can you imagine all the hard muscles underneath that armor, Sweetness?" Lexie quietly groaned and pushed the pirate away. Isabela laughed and walked over to Alistair and complimented him on his terrific skills. Lexie shook her head as her friend made sure to give him praises that could be taken in two different ways. She was used to Bela doing this to Fenris and Varric and even Sebastian, but now she was apparently going to do the same with Alistair. By the time they were ready to continue and go inside the mine, the ex-prince was blushing. Merrill was looking between the two and wondered aloud if she was missing something dirty. This time, both the warriors' cheeks were pink-tinged.

Hawke was in front with Isabela and Merrill behind her and Alistair in the last position. As they came down the steps, they were surprised to find a dragon and several dragonlings. Immediately the group began fighting the creatures being careful to avoid the fire that came out of the dragon. Finally, they had defeated all and took a moment to loot the area. Isabela was practically swooning over a fine dagger that she had found in the rear of the large cavern they were searching. Since she was the only rogue there, she claimed it for her own. Lexie didn't mind as the other rogues, Varric and Sebastian didn't use blades. Merrill found some raw lyrium and was able to gather the much needed resource that was used for potions. Alistair gathered up some coins and handed it to Lexie. She smiled and thanked him. He gave her a returning smile and Lexie felt warmth spread through her. He really was extremely handsome, she thought.

They continued through the tunnels and other open areas having to fight more dragonlings. They fought through quite sufficiently and were just about to go into another area when a man came running out towards them. "Who are you?" Lexie asked. The man told her he'd answer her if she would talk more quietly. He also, in a stage whisper had told her that his name was Jansen and that he thought everyone else had gotten out of the pit. When she asked what happened, he explained that there was a huge dragon out there, pointing behind himself. Lexie advised him to leave which he did but not before reminding her she should not go out the way he had come from.

Lexie looked at her companions and gestured them onward. Merrill walked past her and was proclaiming her surprise at getting to see a big dragon. Isabela shrugged her shoulders and caught up with the elf mage explaining that a huge dragon was going to be unfriendly. Lexie turned to go ahead when Alistair touched her arm. "I could go out first if you'd like." He said. Lexie was about to tell him no when she stopped herself. She thought that it would be a good idea to see him lead and to get a better sense of his fighting style. She had been impressed with his skills up to this point so she nodded and allowed him to pass in front of her. Lexie watched him as he walked up the stairs and had to admit to herself that he looked just as good from the rear as he did from the front. She then realized what she was doing and turned her eyes away. Unfortunately, it wasn't soon enough as Isabela smirked in her direction having noticed exactly what had caught her friend's attention. Groaning, Lexie shook her head and started following the Grey Warden.

While it was one thing to know that you were going to be facing a huge dragon, it was another to actually see it, up close and personal. Thankfully Alistair was not only excellent at fighting; he was extremely adapted at defense. He made sure that he protected the other warrior as well as himself whenever the mature dragon breathed fire in their direction. Luckily, between Alistair and Lexie's fierce attacks, Merrill's damaging spells, and Isabela's stealth, they were able to defeat the enormous beast without serious injuries. They grabbed any useful junk as well as the dragon's fang the herbalist requested.

When the group reached Hightown, Lexie set off to speak with Hubert. Only Alistair followed her. Isabela and Merrill decided to head back to Lowtown to stop in at The Hanged Man before it became too late as they were exhausted. When Lexie spoke to the offensive Orlesian, he offered for her to be partners in the mine. Hawke was surprised but accepted as she thought it could at least help her fellow countrymen. She noticed the approving look from Alistair and blushed. Hubert asked her to inform the workers that it was safe to go back and work the mines. She nodded and her and Alistair left to deliver the fang to Solivitus in the Gallows Courtyard.

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"Rivaini and Daisy!" Called Varric as the women pushed their way through the crowd in the pub. They sat down at the table with their friends and Varric quickly flagged Norah over to get more ale for the table. Fenris and Sebastian were speaking to one another but both nodded to the newest additions before going back to their conversation. Varric was curious as to what had taken place up at the Bone Pit so he questioned Isabela about it. "So, anything interesting happen at the mine?" The pirate smiled and with a look of triumph sparkling in her eyes. She had information on the two Fereldens and he didn't. She mentioned something about loyalty among friends. Varric barked out in laughter. "Rivaini, we both know that anyone that is your friend knows better than to expect you to be quiet." Isabela laughed right back at him because what he said was the absolute truth. After Varric got more ale for them, she proceeded to tell the dwarf about how much the two warriors couldn't stop watching each other and how they thought nobody was paying attention to where their eyes lingered. Varric took all of this in with his story telling brain and was already rewriting it to fit his tale. This was going to be a romance to remember and he would make sure of it.

Merrill was exhausted but happy to be sitting and listening to her friends while drinking her ale. She tried to listen to what Varric and Bela were talking about and only heard a bit as they were being pretty quiet. She realized they were talking about Hawke and the new fighter. She had seen that her friend, their leader, seemed to stare at the former Grey Warden when she thought no one else was watching. The elf had seen him eyeing the Ferelden warrior while they had been up at the Bone Pit. It was the same as when they hadn't met Alistair yet. Whenever they had been here at the pub, the two of them had watched one another constantly. They both seemed to think that were unobserved but the dwarf, pirate, and Dalish mage had all noticed. She giggled to herself and finished her drink. She really should be getting to her home in the Alienage but it was so comfortable here. Perhaps she'd stay over in Varric's suite. He often let her stay when it became too late for her to safely walk home by herself. Merrill was hoping that he'd ask her to stay for other reasons someday. Maybe she wouldn't miss the all the dirty things then.

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Alistair and Lexie had just arrived at the Gallows and since the ex- prince had never been there before, he was walking slowly as he made his way through the courtyard trying to take everything in that he could see. Lexie observed this and smiled wondering what he was thinking. She didn't have to wait very long. "All this is to keep mages in line? I'm depressed just seeing this and I was a Templar!" Alistair commented. He shook his head as he noticed the statues and the many tranquils that were walking around them. Lexie realized just from his observation that he was sympathetic to the mages' plight. Anders would be happy about that. This made Hawke inwardly groan. She had been avoiding the healer since the other night when she had realized that he had a romantic interest in her. While she was busy with this thought, she had apparently missed something that Alistair was saying and only caught the tail end of it. "…a drink?" He was watching her expectantly.

Lexie stumbled and Alistair caught her about the waist. She was not expecting that and when she looked up, she was much closer to him than she realized, only inches away from him. She saw something in his golden eyes that made her lick her lips. He caught that and took a breath in, holding it. He moved slightly closer towards her. For a minute, they just stared until finally, Lexie pulled away. "Did you say something about a drink?" She asked.

Alistair shook his head for a moment and answered. "Yes, I was wondering if you would like to have a drink with me later. If you wanted… or not." He was beginning to stammer, worried that he had made a mistake.

Hawke didn't want to appear too excited but she wanted to accept. She smiled and told him, "I would like that, Alistair. Maybe we could compare notes about Ferelden?" He looked relieved with her answer. He nodded and was glad that he had asked. They grinned at one another and made their way over to the herbalist.

* * *

_End Note: I admit, I struggled a bit with this chapter as I am anxious to get our couple together and include "citrusy" goodness for them. Of course, I'll get to that soon! _

_~ LP007_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. Life happened as well as a bit of writer's block.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot. All else is owned by _BioWare and EA._

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**Trust in Him**

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_Chapter 4_

Lexie and Alistair had found Jansen in Lowtown and convinced him that the Bone Pit was safe enough to go back to work. She also promised them more pay which helped the enthusiasm of their fellow Fereldens. Once that task was complete, they wandered over to the docks and went into an establishment that one of the city guards had recommended. Once they stepped inside of _The Nautical Cove_ they were surprised by the quietness. The warriors made their way to the back of the watering hole after buying two pints at the bar and sat at a small table.

After taking a small sip and realizing the booze was as cheap as _The Hanged Man_, Lexie relaxed a bit. She watched the man across from her and felt a coil of heat in her stomach that wasn't from the ale. He was incredibly good looking. Lexie had to admit that he was more handsome than any other man she had ever met. She looked up at his face and realized he was staring back at her. "I can just imagine what Isabela would say if she were here." She quipped.

Alistair had noticed that she was looking him over and he certainly hoped she liked what she saw because he thought Alexia Hawke was beautiful. He knew she was related to Marisa Amell, his former lover but thankfully, they looked and acted nothing alike. The woman across the table from him was loving, compassionate, and loyal. He had seen that even before he joined up with her.

The Grey Warden cleared his throat as he realized his companion was waiting for him to say something. "I'm sure that whatever that pirate had to say, it would have double meaning anyway." He smirked. "Of course, if she brought Fenris along, she'd be too busy to say much to us." Alistair guessed.

Lexie blushed slightly and quickly answered, "If Merrill followed them here, and she'd just worry about missing the dirty things." She giggled, slightly embarrassed about what she had just said. When she glanced back up at Alistair, she saw him smile at her and she was struck again by how devastatingly handsome he was. Oh Maker, she thought, she was in serious trouble. This was more than a young girl's crush. She was sure that she was falling for the Ferelden warrior.

By the time they were on their third round, they were speaking of their homeland and comparing notes on a few of the places they had both been. Hawke was surprised that she had missed Alistair and his companions while they were in Lothering. That was most likely due to her family living on the outskirts of town and keeping a low profile due to her father and sister's magical status. He spoke of Leliana whom Lexie had met a few times as well as the Qunari that had been caged by the Lothering Chantry. Lexie was fascinated by all that he spoke of and she hoped that someday he would tell her about what went on between him and her cousin. She wanted to hear his side of the story.

Deciding they should leave before it became too late, the two left and made the trek to Lowtown together. When they arrived at Lexie's home, Alistair took her hand and lifted it up and kissed it. It was a gesture that warmed Hawke's heart. "Thank you, Lexie for accompanying me this evening. I enjoyed myself more than I have in a very long time." he marveled, smiling at her.

Lexie smiled back at him and responded, "I hope that we can spend more time together and I truly had wonderful night as well." She stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek before turning and going inside her house.

Alistair watched her go inside and started to walk back to _The Hanged Man_. He whistled an old Ferelden tune that he remembered as he strode to the pub. He was unaware of someone watching him. He had been oblivious of it earlier as well when he had been saying good night to Hawke. If he had known, he would have been surprised at the animosity directed at him. Eyes narrowed, the watcher starting plotting on how to get rid of this newest threat to his plan.

* * *

Varric shook his head and chuckled at the blushing Chantry brother. Isabela was on a roll with her latest tale of how she narrowly escaped being captured by some bloke that went by the name of _Dread Pirate Roberts_. She had just finished at how she had stolen his sword while only wearing her boots and nothing else. The part leading up to the theft of the fine length of steel was what had Sebastian blushing and Merrill giggling. The dwarf rolled his eyes and exclaimed, "I am quite sure that I find that story to be inconceivable, _Buttercup_." The pirate in question just laughed, winked at Merrill and proceeded to lead Fenris away from the table and down the stairs. Apparently she was walking the broody elf home. Sebastian got up and after saying good bye, left to head back to Hightown.

"Daisy? How about you go get some sleep? I don't want to have to worry about you walking home." Varric said. The elf sleepily nodded her head and flopped onto the cot on the other side of the room. "Good night. Wake me in the morning and I'll walk you home." The rogue placed Bianca beside his bed and slipped under the covers. His last thought was that he needed to buy some flowers for Merrill so she would stop picking them in private gardens.

* * *

Lexie had just changed into one of Carver's old shirts to sleep in when Bethany surprised her by magically lighting a candle on the nightstand. "Sister! You gave me a fright. I tried to be quiet. Sorry to have woken you." Lexie babbled.

Bethany allowed a giggle to escape and whispered, "What have you been up to, Lexie?" The mage was not as innocent as her sister and everyone else thought that she was. She had heard many stories from Isabela that had brought a blush to her cheeks as she had visualized the steamy scenes the pirate had vividly recounted. She was also aware of the attraction between her sister and the newest warrior that now accompanied their group. She hoped that he was the reason Lexie had come home so late.

Lexie sat down on the mat she used as a bed and sighed. She leaned against the wall and said, "After dealing with the bone pit, Alistair went with me on some errands. He asked me to have a drink with him so instead of going to the usual place; we went to the new place by the docks and talked." She smiled and continued, "He was in Lothering, just before the darkspawn showed up there. I'm sure that if we had lived right in town, we would have seen him. That's when Leliana joined up with him and our _dear_ cousin." She knew that Bethany would be quite intrigued with that bit of information. Bethany always had been curious about Marisa Amell, _Hero of Ferelden_ as she was their mother's niece as well as a mage that had left the Circle of Ferelden and become a Grey Warden. Of course, Lexie was less than impressed with her relative as she had heard some of the story about her betrayal to Alistair from Isabela.

Bethany knew that her sister wasn't as impressed with their cousin as she was but she didn't want to argue with Lexie now. She was too happy about her having a date with the handsome Ferelden. It had been entirely too long since Lexie had done anything for just herself. Even before running from Lothering, her sister had always been responsible and protective of her and to an extent, their brother Carver. Bethany just wanted Alexia to have a reason to smile and laugh and if Alistair was the reason, she would encourage it as much as possible. "You know, Lexie, if mother hears about you _seeing _him, she is going to be planning a wedding before long." Bethany teased.

Lexie rolled her eyes and answered, "That is why nothing is to be said, Beth. I can't handle mother playing _mother of the bride_ right now with everything. I'm still trying to earn enough to pay Bertrand for partnering on the expedition. In fact, I don't want mother playing that role ever. Who needs that kind of pressure? Besides, we just went for drinks. He's hardly my boyfriend much less my _intended._" The petite warrior shook her head. "Well, we should get some sleep. I still have a lot to do tomorrow." Lexie got under the blankets and shut her eyes. After saying good night to her sister, Bethany did the same.

* * *

Alistair had gone straight to bed once he gotten to his room. He was tired but unable to fall right to sleep. He thought about his day and was glad that he had asked Lexie to go for drinks earlier. It had been even better than he thought it could. Thinking about their date, he smiled. Lexie was an amazing woman. She was intelligent and beautiful. She also had a wicked sense of humor. In short, she was perfect and someone he wanted to get closer with.

He realized that he had not truly been in love with Marisa. He had thought he was and at the time, he would have fought anyone who claimed differently but now, he recognized that he had been in no shape to really be in love. Everything that he had gone through since the massacre in Ostagar had left him an emotional wreck. His attraction to the mage was a positive in the middle of all that was negative. Coupled with losing his virginity to her, it was no wonder why he thought he was in love with her. He yawned and decided he'd better get some sleep. He was already looking forward to seeing Alexia the next day, even if it was just on another job. As long as it allowed him to be near her, he was content. Maybe he could ask her out again was his last thought for the night.

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**End Note:** Please read and review.


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